Luminous sign



Aug. 15, 1933. w w, ULLARD 1,922,309

LUMINOUS SIGN Filed May 29,- 1930 'SIS Patented Aug. 15, 1933` A www STATES *ZPArsNroFl-ICE s The present invention relates generally to lumi nous signs and more particularly to signs Whose characters and symbols are formed by light rays.

Large luminous signs designed to function at 5 night,` especially those used for advertising pur-` poses, `have usually beenmade by mounting a plurality of incandescent electric lamps on a frame or board, the lamps being positioned to outline letters and othercharacters in the Words `and.

symbols of the sign. Extra large luminous signs of `this type have some objectionable features. A great many electric lamps are required. IIhey consume. a large amount of electricity. 1 A strong e and expensiveV frame is required to support the sign, especially if exposed to winds. The sign and the supporting frame are often unsightly when seen in daylight. s s s e An object of the present invention is to provide less expensive means for producing very large luminous characters which are suitable for use as elements of signs. l 1

Another object is to provide electric means for producing a large luminous sign which usesa relatively small amount of electric current.

Still another. object is to provide devices for' producing a large luminous sign for operation at night which devices will detract but little from the e ate with each lamp and .its associated reflector, I mount an opaque member for arresting the ray of light at a point determined by the character of Which the ray is to forma part.

A feature of my invention resides in the provision of means for intermittently arresting. each light ray of a sign before it leaves its reflector, and for releasing the arrested rays suddenly so `as to make the sign appear almost instantaneously out of the dark.

Other features and advantages will` appear 551h partly broken away of an electric'lamp, areector therefor, a shutter member for arresting thelight rays of` said lamp before they leave the reflector, and electric means for opening said shutter member quickly.

6 0 Figures 4 and 5 areside and bottom views reabove at night. y i y In practicing my invention,controlled-rays of light` are combined, usuallyrat night, to form let-1V be used in practicing my invention.` e

Figures 6 and 7 are front and side diagrammatic views, respectively, of equipment Whichmay be mounted on the side of a hill for producingan advertising sign according to my invention.

FigureB is a diagrammatic side View of an arrangement of light reectors and arresters illustrating how two controlled. rays of light not in the same plane maybe made `to appear from a distance nearly like a single ray of light.

` Figure 9 is a diagrammatic View illustrating theappearance at night,` from the front, of the controlled rays of light produced by the devices shown in Figure 8. l i

Figure 10 is a` diagrammatic view of an electric lamp and reflector unit such as may be used in practicing my invention, the lamp being shown connected to a source of electricity. A switch de.-` vice is indicated for interrupting the electric current flowing through the lamp. l Figure 11 is a diagrammatic side view of equip-` ment for producing a light ray sign, which equipment is mounted on a boat. i e

Figure 12 illustrates controlled light rays in colors. Figures 13 and 14 are top plan and end dia-A grammatic views, respectively, of equipment for practicing my invention to produce the name of a town in large letters for aviators to read from ters, figures and other characters and symbols. It will be seen as the description proceeds that 'the rays of light may be produced by suchinstrumentalities` as electric incandescent lamps, electric carbon arc lights, or by devices ,burning materials such as gas or oil. In many cases electric incandescent lamps, generally designated-as 10, (see Figure 3) `can be advantageously used to provide the light rays to be controlled.

`In controlling light rays of a lamp 10 according to my invention,V the rays are rst reflected in a desired direction by a xed reflector 11 which in most cases can, advantageously be parabolic reflectors of a well known type. A detailed description of the contruction of the lamps 10 and reflectors 1,1 are not considered necessary for an understanding of the present invention. It will be understood that the Width,.length and brilliance of the light rays desired for forming the views of equipment for producing light ray signs,

and dot-and-dash lines in those views indicate the dimension and direction-of a light ray that is' 120 to be produced and controlled at night.

spectively of a form of light arrester which may iiecting the rays in a certain direction, arresting the rays at a certain point which I do byinter-A posing in the path of the rays an opaque inenrccr 13 made of metal or other suitable material and hereinafter called an arresteri An arrester may take the forni of a truncated cone shaped vessel as illustrated in Figure Lland have an end potion 14 and a shallow flared wall 1,5. It will be seen as. the description proceeds that other widelyvaryingforms of arresters may be used Without departing from the'broadscope ofmy invention.

An arresterv 13 will preferably be positioned in the path. ofthe reflected rays of a lamp lo with the inside oftl'ietarrester turned toward the lamp, and with the end le intersecting all the rays of the lamp atsubstantially right' angles. Theentireinside surfaceoi each arrester 12 will prei erably receive a coatingl of black paint or other suitable dark mate that is a poor reflector of lig-lit rays. rThe outside surface of an in some cases, Awill Yreceive a coating of paint which will make the arrester less Anoticeable day-lightfand which will' also servo to help man the-arrester invisible'at night.

Where two light rays are directed at the saine point andrfintersect each other as illustrated in the intersection ofthe `indicated horizontal ray and the indicated vertical ray VEorniing the vletter Lin :Figure 2, an angular arrester 17 may serve for arresting both rays. The arrester be constructed similar'to the arrester 13, and in somefcases an arrester 1'? may be-inade by bending a large arrester 13 along a diametrical through its end `11i so thatone half of it is disposed at a substantial `right angle to the other half. Itwill be understood that ordinary arresters for use with one lamp or angular arresters for use with two or more lamps may he niade in ther vforms than curved. For example, certain two-way arresters shown in Figure 6 and designated as 18 have rectangular end portions.

In practicing my invention, a and reflector unit includinga lamp lo and a reilector 1l, may be mounted in-any suitable way for cooperation with an arrester to produce a controlled light ray. vLikewise arresters 13, i7 and 18 be mounted in any suitable way for cooperation with the lamp and reflector units.

`AIn FigureZ Vis shown a structure illustrating how lamps l0, reiiectors 11 and arrestors 13 and 1'7 may-be mounted for producing a light ray advertising sign. skilled in the art that the lamps 10 may be mounted in and supported by the reiiectors il in well known ways. Two tall posts or columns 2o may be constructed oi concreteror other suitable materials and a steel -beaml mayk eiztend'between the columns 2) and rest on their tops and be fastened thereto by any suitable means (not shown).

Certain down-turned reflectors 11 may each be fastened rigidly to one end of arm whose other end may lbe fastenedrigidly to the 1-beam 21 by angle pieces 23, or by kany other Vsuitable means. Other horizontally-directed reflectors l1 may be fastened to posts 24 set in the ground,

It -will be understoodby those` and in some cases two rellectors may be fastened to one post.

For producing the signs indicated in Figure 2, the arresters 13 and 17 may be fastened to posts 2/i'set in the ground. It can be readily seen that arresters 13 and 17 can be easily fastened to the -beam 21 by means well known to mechanics should such an arrangement be desired for arrestinglight rays from uptur ed reflectors ll mounted near the ground.

The effectiveness of a light ray advertising sign constructed according to my invention can oijten be increased by intermittently arresting and freeing part or all of the light rays forming the characters of the advertising sign. According to one way of arresting the'raysof a lamp l0, the lamp and its reflector 1l may be enclosed in a box-like case 3() having one open end which may be closed by a pivoted shutter 31 (see Figurer).

Remote control'ineans for opening the shutter very quickly may include anarrn 32 :fastened to the shutter and a tensile spring 3- having one end fastened to the arm and the other to a supporting frame (not shown) for the relloctor 11; The shutter 31 may be held closed by a pivoted latch 35 which may be released 'b3/'energizing an electro-magnet 36 which will attract an armature 3"! fastened to the latch 35 on the opposite side of a pivot 38 from a depending tooth l0 which Vholds the shutter 31 closed until the latch is released.

After the shutter 31 has remained open for a desired period of time it may be closed by manually operable means or by remote control means (not shown). It will be understood by those skilled in the art that other types oi remote control shutter devices may be used in practicing my invention instead of the devicesnown in Figure According to another way oivarresting a con trolled ray of light in practicing my invention (see Figure 10.), alainp lOniounted in a reilectcr 1l and connected by electric conductors fl() to a an expense forl a tall structure such as is shown in Figure 2 is eliminated.

It will be noted from inspection of Figure 7 that the two light rays which will form the numeral 7 of the advertising sign will not he in the samey However, on viewing the sign at a conslderabl'e Adistance from the front of the hill at plane.

night the light rays forming the Vnumeral '7 will appear to be substantially in the same plane, and also 'as being vertical. This feature of my invention vis advantageous because of permitting'a rough hill side to be utilized without building expensive structures for mounting the equipment necessary for producing a large light ray sign.

By opening the yswitch l12 the 74::

1n Figures 8 and 9 is illustrated how two light rays controlled according to my invention may be the reflector llU'and the accompanying lamp can 'k' be made so small relative to the breadth of the ray from the lower reflector -11L that itwill scarcely be noticed. The kind of built-up light ray shownV in Figure 9 may be advantageously yemployed in Light ray signs embodying my invention` may be mounted on movable objects which will often increase their effectiveness.` In Figure 11, equipment is illustrated for producinga light ray sign which equipment is mounted on a boat 60. A structure including two `tall 4masts 61 having a cable 62 stretched taut between them may serve the same purpose as the columns 20 and I-beam 21 shown in Figure. 2. "It will `beunderstood that power for light ray signs carried on boats may be supplied by a generator (not shown) `on each boat.

The appearance and effectiveness of a light ray sign embodying my invention may often be improved by providing well known means which will produce rays of colored light for use Vin the signs instead of white light. As can be readily seen by those skilled in the art cach separate letterof a light ray advertising sign canoften be produced in a different color. Various characters and symbols which may accompany an advertising sign may be shown in more than one color, as is illustratedin Figure 12. Also where only rays ofwhite light are employed, the rays forming one letter of a Word may be made to appear stronger than the rays forming the other letters as is indicated in Figure 1, wherein the letter I is indicated as being brighter' than the letter 'I'. i

In Figures 13 and 14, is illustrated how the name of a city, for example, Avon may be produced in very large letters by light rays employed l `according to my invention for the Vbenefit of aviators flying at night. In this use of my invention, the equipment, such as the reflectors l1 and arresters13 and 17 for controlling the light rays, may be mounted on posts 'set in the earth and suitably located near an aviation landing field, if desired. It can be seen that the equipment for producingthe name of a city can be placed on agriculturallands, for example, so as to occupy but little space needed for growing crops. In certain localities, light ray advertising signs can be constructed as illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 to be seen by people passing on nearby roads `at a considerable higher elevation thanthe signs.

'Light ray signs will usually be relatively tall, varying from fifty to severalhundred feet in height. Such being the case, a light ray sign will usuallybe positioned a considerable distance-in some cases a mile or morefrom the place (road l for example) where people will ordinarily be when looking at it. Thus the structure that may be required for mounting lamp and reflector units and arresters will scarcely be noticeable in the `daylight. Furthermore, the structure for a light ray sign can often be painted a color effective to make the `structure blend into the background.

i Variations may be resorted to` within the scope 2 of the invention, and `portions of the improveducing a well defined beam of light throughout its length, said arresting* means including an opaque memberl positioned at said point to intercept said beam and having a rim portion extending a short distance from said member Atoward said light-producing means.

2. In a luminous sign, in combination, a Vlamp and reflector unit arranged for producing and reflecting a ray of light at a desired point, a second lamp and reflector unit arranged for reflecting a ray of light at said point, and a member effective for arrecting both of said rays, said units positioned relative to each other so that said rays of light cooperate to form a character element of said sign, said arresting member having means to prevent glare and spreading of said rays, said means including a wall-like element around theA arca on said member engaged by said rays.

In a luminous sign, means for arresting a beam of reflected light disposed in an approximately upright plane, said means including a thin opaque member disposed in a plane approximately at right angles to said beam and rim elements extending from said member' a short distance toward the source of said beam, said member and said rim elements being colored on their inside surfaces for absorbinglight and being colored on their Voutside surfaces for blending into the background adjacent said sign, whereby said arresting means is inconspicuous in daylight.

4. A sign for use at night having charactersv made up of light rays, said sign including means for producing beams of light sharply dened throughout, and devices for controlling said beams whereby to bring them suddenly into view, said means including an electric lamp and a parabolic `reflector therefor, said controlling devices including a housing for said reflector having a hinged door in front of the open end of said reflector and means for opening saiddoor instantly.

5. A luminous character formed of two or more overlapping, aligned beams of light, each of said beams formed by cooperation of a lamp and reflector unit for producing the light beam and a bowl-like interceptor member for arresting the beam, the lamp and reflector unit `of the second beam being disposed adjacent the interceptor "member of the second beam between said last named interceptor and its associated lamp and reiiector unit.

6. A luminous sign including, in combination,

`a boat having masts spaced apartthereon, a

night to an airplane landing field, said sign including, in combination, means for producing a plurality of beams of light, devices for intercepting said beams of light, `means for preventing `glare adjacent said intercepting devices, and

means for supporting said beam-producing means, said light-intercepting devices and said glare-preventitng means in position to render said beams visible to aviators above said landing field, said `light beams being arranged to form elementsof characters in saidsign.

, WILLIAM W. LILLARD. 

